ABSTRACT

Objective

Morbidity and mortality are high in trauma patients over 65 years of age. The Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) is an assessment tool that has been shown to predict mortality in different clinical populations. The aim of this study was to analyze age-related clinical differences and to examine the relationship between CCI and mortality in patients over 65 years of age who admitted to the emergency department due to a forensic event.

Material and Methods

The study was designed as single-center and retrospective. Patients over 65 years of age admitted to the emergency department due to forensic situation were included in the study. The patients included in the study were divided into two groups as 65-79 (Group 1) years old and over 80 (Group 2) years old to analyze age-related demographic and clinical differences. Demographic characteristics of the patients, Charlson comorbidity index, forensic case forms were obtained from patient files and hospital electronic information processing system and recorded in data form.

Results

The study included 430 patients over 65 years of age. Of the geriatric patients included in the study, 85.6% were in Group 1 and 14.4% were in Group 2. When hospital provision records were examined, it was determined that 62.6% of the patients were registered in the system as forensic incidents, 34.7% as traffic accidents and 2.8% as occupational accidents. When the relationship between forensic events and age groups

was examined, it was found that 27.6% of Group 1 and 73.2% of Group 2 admitted with the complaint of falling from the same level, and the difference between the groups was statistically significant (p< 0.001). When the relationship between CCI and age groups was examined, it was found that it was 2.9 ± 1.1 in Group 1 patients, and 4.7 ± 1 in Group 2 patients. CCI was found to be statistically significantly higher in patients

over 80 years of age (p< 0.001). When the relationship between CCI and mortality was analyzed, it was found that it was 3.1 ± 1.1 in surviving patients and 4.2 ± 1.8 in non-surviving patients (p< 0.001).

Conclusion

CCI for mortality estimation in patients over 65 years of age presenting to the emergency department with forensic event may help the clinician in the early period.